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Now, researchers have taken a page from the chameleon's book to develop a flexible smart skin that changes its colour in response to heat and sunlight.

Study co-author Dr Khalid Salaita, of Emory University in the United States, said: "The hues of chameleon skin rely not on dyes or pigments as most colours do, but instead on arrays of tiny structures known as photonic crystals.

"Light reflects from these microscopic surfaces and interferes with other beams of reflected light, producing a colour.

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The new 'smart' skin will make it able to change colour (Image: GETTY)

"The hue changes when the distance between photonic crystals varies – for example, when a chameleon tenses or relaxes its skin."

To mimic these natural abilities, Dr Salaita said the team embedded photonic crystals in flexible materials, such as hydrogels, and changed their colours by contracting or expanding the material like an accordion.

However, the large fluctuations in size can strain the materials and cause them to buckle.